Molly Murphy Named President of Universal Creative

Caitlin Huston
·2 min read

Molly Murphy has been named president of Universal Creative, which designs and creates Universal’s attractions, rides and resorts.

Murphy comes to the role after working at the architecture and design firm Gensler, most recently serving as principal and co-managing director of the firm’s New York division. She co-founded the firm’s Digital Experience Design practice, which uses interactive and visualization technology and software to create immersive experiences.

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She will begin at Universal Creative, a division under the newly renamed Universal Destinations & Experiences unit, on August 14.

“Human interaction and connection are at the heart of physical design and the delivery of compelling places,” Murphy said. “Universal brings this idea to life better than anyone else, and I look forward to joining the team as we create authentic, lasting experiences for our guests and fans around the world.”

Murphy holds a Master of Architecture and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects.

“Molly has an energy and a set of proven capabilities that will further enhance our ability to deliver the most immersive stories and experiences to our guests,” said Mark Woodbury, Chairman and CEO, Universal Destinations & Experiences. “Our focus on expanding the Universal brand to new people, in new places and on new platforms is well underway. Her ability to blend technology with architecture, brand and design will help take our great product to even higher levels.”

Universal recently announced plans to open two new original experiences: a theme park in Fresco, Texas and a Las Vegas horror experience. The theme park in Texas will be smaller and geared toward families with young children. The company purchased 97 acres of land for the park which it says is “ intended to have a completely different look, feel, and scale than Universal’s existing parks.”

The Las Vegas experience is described as a year-round horror attraction based on Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights franchise. The attraction will be based on a 20-acre portion of Area16, an arts and entertainment complex near the Las Vegas Strip.

The company opened the immersive theme park, Super Nintendo World, in Universal Studios Hollywood on Feb. 17.

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